Policeman’s home destroyed by fire

ARSON has been established as the cause of a fire which on Sunday destroyed the St Augustine apartment home of a Police Constable attached to the Homicide Bureau in Port-of-Spain.

And in an unrelated fire which happened yesterday, a Works Ministry employee attached to the President’s House had his Malick home destroyed by fire, which police believe was maliciously set. In the first instance, the 28-year-old Constable, who asked not to be named, secured his St Augustine apartment home around 5 am on Sunday and left. Around 7 am, he received a telephone call from a neighbour informing him that the apartment was on fire. The officer later telephoned St Joseph police and Tunapuna Fire officers.

The firemen arrived in time to save part of the $500,000 building in which the officer’s apartment is located, but not before the fire completely destroyed the apartment, taking with it $150,000 in household items. Sgt Don Lezama and a party of St Joseph detectives arrived on the scene and began investigations. Police are working on the theory that a molotov cocktail (a homemade bomb) was tossed through a window which set fire to the apartment. A motive for the arson has not yet been established. And in yesterday’s incident, around 10.45 am Denise Ravello left her San Juan home to visit Kenley Clifford, who lives as Upper Seventh Avenue, Malick.

On reaching Clifford’s home, Ravello heard the sounds of persons running in the yard and on checking, noticed smoke coming from the kitchen area. She quickly contacted the Morvant Fire and Police stations. However, by the time officers arrived, the fire had already completely engulfed the concrete house, leaving behind $250,000 in losses. FSO Ramsaroop and FSO Phillips spearheaded the futile fire-fighting effort. Visiting the scene were Insp Koon Koon, Cpl Walker and PC Antoine. Up to late yesterday no motive had been established for the blaze and Cpl Walker is continuing investigations. When Newsday visited the scene yesterday, neither Ravello nor Clifford was around.